The Professional Referees Organization — the entity that manages officials for Major League Soccer — conducted a camp for potential replacement referees last week, a move that underscored the current tensions between the referees’ union (Professional Soccer Referees Association) and PRO. Four days ahead of season openers, the need for those replacements grows, with a PSRA spokesman saying he expects his union’s members to be locked out ahead of this weekend’s games.

Steven Goff at the Washington Post has the whole story, one in which the PSRA’s lead negotiator confirmed management “threatened a lockout.” Steve Taylor also said “I expect that call later today from Peter Walton” – the general manager of PRO.

In his mid-day YouTube Q-and-A, league commissioner Don Garber confirmed MLS had established contingencies should the league’s first choice officials be unable to officiate this weekend’s games. MLS opens its season with seven games on Saturday and an eighth on Sunday, a schedule that would require 32 officials to cover the entire slate.

Fans are always debating whether Major League Soccer has reached the big-time., but these types of struggles are a symptom of that growth. Given referee disputes impinge the four major sports leagues, it shouldn’t be surprising to see similar conflicts hinder Major League Soccer.

As with football, basketball, baseball, and hockey, this one seems destined to be resolved. Whether that resolution will be here by Saturday is another question entirely.

After five hours of negotiations on Monday were followed by another four-hour session on Tuesday, Taylor was left with little hope. From the Post:

“They have not made any significant movement in our direction on economic or non-economic issues that are still outstanding,” Taylor said after four hours of meetings in New York. The sides also met for five hours Monday. No additional meetings are scheduled this week.

Never mind all that: Harry Kane was healthy, and scored three goals as Spurs kept pace with group mates Real Madrid in filing a 3-0 win at APOEL Nicosia in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Kane said he was very proud of the side’s performance, as youngster Anthony Georgiou and seldom-used Georges-Kevin N’Koudou put in shifts in the win. From the BBC:

“We weren’t pleased with the first-half and a couple of chances could have gone the other way. We were more clinical and in the Champions League that is what you have got to be.

“We are missing a few players but the lads who stepped in were fantastic. We have a solid squad and you have to be ready. 3-0 away in the Champions League no matter who you play is a good result.”

Kane has 11 goals in September between club and country, and has six hat tricks in 2017. There may not be a finer big striker firing in Europe right now, and both England and Spurs will hope to ride him well into 2018.

A point from far from home is not the end of the world, but Liverpool will rue its missed chances in a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Goalkeeper Artyom Rebrov had a stellar day for Spartak before being injured and then replaced by Aleksandr Selikhov, who was also strong for the Russians.

Fernando (not that one) scored a free kick for Spartak, while Philippe Coutinho bagged the equalizer that keeps the Reds ahead of Spartak on goal difference. Both sides are three points behind Sevilla.

Hugo Lloris flubbed an early clearance and was fortunate to see the back-bounding ball dribble wide of his left post.

Carlao could’ve given APOEL a surprise lead close to halftime but headed wide of the net from within 10 yards.

Kane nearly added an assist to his ledger at the start of the second half, but Son Heung-min just missed his effort wide of the frame.

He scored another goal anyway, and another one. Moussa Sissoko set Kane up for the second of the night, a relatively simple finish for the striker, and Kane completed his trio of goals when he headed Kieran Trippier‘s cross home.